Building block and wall construction



Aug. 7, 1 934. F. T. HEATH BUILDING BLOCK AND WALL CONSTRUCTION Filed Nov. 18. 1932 Patented Aug. 7, 1934 7 BUILDING BLOGKANi) tvAiii,

. CONSTRUCTION Frederick T.'Heath, Syracuse, N; Y; Application November 18, 1932, Serial No.,643,1-97 8 Claims. (01. 72:41)"

ready manufacture and of an external shape and size to facilitate the laying of the blocks in the wall structure by the building mechanic.

A still further object of my invention is the provision of a building block, which; while being of a shape to facilitate its-economical manufacture, its handling-and its laying, will have the physical characteristics required of'a load-bearing tile and which block may be suitable for the partitioning thereof, whereby a standard unit block may also serve at the place of wall construction as a header tile, a full unit tile or a half tile, as desired. I

Other-objects of my invention will hereinafter become apparent from a description of the draw-' ing, which illustrates a building block unit and 7 three adaptations of the block to load-bearing tile and brick wall structures of varying thicknesses.

In the drawing, Fig; 1 is-a perspective view ofmy unit block; Fig. 2 is a cross-section of a twelve-inch wall structure embodying the use of l the block; Fig. 3 is a cross-Section of a'sixte'eninch-wall; Fig. 4-i's a cr'o'ss-sec'tion'of an alternate form of sixteen-inch wall construction; Fig. la is a perspective'vie'w of a header block obtainedby parting the unit blockshown in Fig. '1, and Fig. 1b is a perspective of a half block obtained from the unit block shown in Fig.1; Myinvention contemplates the provision of a building block of the hollow load-bearing the type, provided with anarra'ngement of internal web and outer shellproportioning whichwill permit the-block to be divisible into half-block or header blocks by the mason, by requiring only the splitting of one internal web and one exter-' nal wall of the block; and I prefer to incorporate this'arra'ngement in a hollow load-bearing tile,- preferabl'y substanti'ally square in" cross-section,

and with a side or top dimension of the block equal to the height of three bricks plus two mortar 'J'oirit's. I arrange two parallel vertically ex- 6'5" tending webs aifd on'e horizontal-'wbin s'uch re-' lation to the cross-sectional center warmes titioningthe block I may obtaina header block having a brick bonding inset substantially equ'al to the heightor a; brick plus a mortar joint; n I I arrange the vertically extending parallel webs such manner as to retain substantially the full vertical load-bearing alignment of the header blocks and unit blocks when placed thefwall structure" for maximum load strength and I also form the top bearing surface of the' blockjwhere-i by a slot or groove extends longitudinally of the block to afford the ready partitioning referred to and to facilitate the handling or thebl ocli. e block is made preferably 7% high and- 8'' wide; to prevent improper'laying of the block on'the wall. 7 v

such a block A is shown in Fig. 1 wherein the outer shell comprises the external side walls 8 and 9 and the bottom wan" 10 or substt nnanyjhe' same thickness and dimension,- and which ma 78"- be externally scored as d'esiredfor mortarEI'ocK-Q ing' purposes. The top moaar-bearm'gsu'rfaee' comprises horizontally aligned top walls" 1 1 and" 12, the external walls a, 9, 10, 11' andii'z ranting V in transverse cross-section substantially'a square; 80 Two internal webs 13 and 14 extend vertically parallel throughout the height of the block; as shown',;and are intersected by a horizontal or transversely extending web 16. The web's 13a d 14 are spaced aparta sufficient distanceto: affo'r the formation of an outwardly exposed if iclfjor" slot 20 formed in the top of the-block of width, (preferably one inch) as to permit 651i: venient gripping of the top of the blockfby'the masonand for further convenient handlingl prefer to have slight overhanging portions' 2l' formed "along the top edges" of the slot 20 may have" the top longitudinal edges thereof slightly roundedto afford a comfortable grip to the mason. 1

"To' permit the unit block to be convertedinto a header block, the transverse web 16is spaced downwardl from the top; web's 1'1' and 12 adi's t ste-equal to substantially thev'e'rt ial height Of a" mortal jillt plus the Vertical height brick; wherebyif the mason'desires to obtain a" header block he may (10 S0 by'brakilig the Gillie 1" wall 8' and the internal vertical web 13 along lane's defined by the dash lines 8aand l3 dyl spebtively. header block thus Obtaified isshown inFig's.{'1a1,"2 and 4', and is indicated by the refer; eri'ce numeral H. Shouldth'emason'desire t'o'ob f 133,111 a" half-block fol the puIpOS Sbf b llildi li g 8; thickenwall or for obtaining transver's bbniii ofparallel-courses of tile in thickf-walli siibh bricks, plus two intermediate mortar joints, and:

in a twelve-inch wall having a brick facing, the construction would be as shown in cross-section in Fig. 2, wherein the unit blocks A would'be laid in the wall in longitudinal bonding relationship,- that is, running bond relationship, with the header blocks H, the tile being set with thevertical webs 8, 9, 13 and 14 thereof in substantial load-bearing relationship. In this construction, every sixth course of the longitudinal courses 28 of the brick facing would comprise a header course 30.

"In Fig. 4 the sixteen-inch structure is shown, and courses of half-blocks K are run side by side with full unit blocks A and header blocks H. The

longitudinal arrangement of the respective courses is such as to obtain longitudinal bonding throughout the length of the wall. In Fig. 3 of the sixteen-inch wall construction, the header bond- BQ ing withthef header course 30 is obtained by the use of an element M of the block and the units tile A are shown in staggered longitudinal courses to obtain thebond and the wall is completed by the use of half-blocks K. The blocks M are ob- 35,; tained by partitioning a half-block to remove the upper portion thereof.

It will bev noted that the half-blocks, header blocks and unit blocks all have a common top dimension, represented by the dimension G in Fig.

4g-g1, which affords a substantially uniform grip to the mason who is building the wall. This gripping distance is preferably made not greater than the width of a brick, thus greatly enhancing the dexterity which the mason can develop in hand- ,ling the various shaped units, including the bricks when building the wall. I

The external shape of the unit block, while 'shown as substantially a cube, may be any desired.

length, such, for example, a twelve-inch length,

59;, without loss of any of the advantages of my structure, with the exception that the units and halfunits'could not be stood up-ended to form end closure and pilaster constructions.

I claim:

1. A composite brick and tile wall, consisting of a facing of brick and a co-acting backing ofhollow tile blocks laid with their voids extending horizontally, certain of said blocks having portions cut away and receiving inner portions of certain of said blocks having rectangular crosssection, the blocks with the cut-away portions having maximum cross-sectional dimensions equal to the corresponding maximum dimensions of the crosssection of the other blocks, all of said blocks having a horizontally disposed cross-web spaced relative to the top shell of the block downwardly a distance substantially equal to the ver tical dimensions of the brick plus a mortar joint, some of which having that portion removed comprising. a corner section thereof adjacent the:

facing of brick, to thereby form a bond with the header coursesof the brick, and the other blocks being fonned to have acentrallydisposed exterior ex osed oidbetw n a a r f rertica ydi s d webs whereby a convenient gripping of the tile may be afforded to the mechanic when the wall is being constructed.

2. A composite brick and tile wall, consisting of a facing of brick and a co-acting backing of hollow tile blocks laid with their voids extending horizontally, all of said blocks being of substantially equal corresponding overall, cross-sectional dimensions, and havinga horizontally disposed cross-web whose upper surface is spaced downwardly relative to the upper surface of the block a distance substantially equal to the thickness of a brick plus a mortar joint, some of which having that portion removed comprising an upper corner section thereof adjacent the facing of brick to thereby form a bond with the header courses of the brick and the other blocks being formed to have an exterior exposed void in its upper surface whereby a convenient gripping of the tile may be aiforded to the mechanic when the wall is being constructed.

3. A composite brick and tile Wall, consisting of a facing of brick and a co-acting backing of hollow tile blocks laid with their voids extending horizontally, all of said blocks being of substantially equal corresponding overall cross-sectional dimensions and having a horizontally disposed cross-web the outermost surface of which is. spaced a distance substantially equal to the thickness of a brick plus a mortar joint from one, of the exterior horizontal faces of the block, certain of said blocks being formed with an exterior exposed void in one of the horizontal faces of the block whereby the block may be divided into header blocks by splitting only one outer shell and one internal web, and other blocks in bonded relationship having that portion removed comprising a corner section adjacent the facing of brick, the recess so formed receiving the inner portions of said header brick in bonded relationship.

4. A hollow load bearing building tile adaptable for use in a wall constructed of tile having a brick facing and comprising a block substantially square in cross-section and having a horizontally disposed internal web and a pair of vertically disposed internal webs, the vertical webs being arranged to be substantially equidistantly spaced relative to the center of the cross-section of the block, the top load-bearing surface of the block, provided with an exteriorly disposed void, formed by omission of, that portion of the outer top load bearing wall of the block which would extend between said vertically disposed internal pair of webs, whereby the block may be conveniently grasped andmanipulated by onehand' of the mason and whereby the block may be divided into header blocks or half blocks as desired by breaking only one outer wall and one internal web.

5. A hollow load bearing building tile adaptable for use in a wall constructed of tile having a, brickfacing and comprising a block substantially 6. A hollow load bearing building the adaptable for use in a wall constructed of tile having a brick facing and comprising a block substantially square in cross-section and having a horizontally disposed internal web and a pair of vertically disposed internal webs, the vertical webs being arranged to be substantially equidistantly spaced relative to the center of the cross-section of the block, the space between the web being substan-V tially equal to the mortar joint and the top load bearing surface of the block being provided with an exteriorly disposed void formed by omission of that portion of the outer top load bearing wall of the block which would extend between said vertically disposed internal pair of webs.

7. A hollow building tile adaptable for use in a wall constructed of tile having a facing of brick bonded to the tile backing with brick header courses and comprising a block substantially rectangular in cross-section and having a horizontally disposed internal web whose upper surface is spaced downwardly relative to the upper surface of the block a distance substantially equal to the thickness of a brick plus a mortar joint, and a pair of vertically disposed internal webs,

the vertical webs being substantially equidistantly spaced relative to the center of the cross-section of the block, and the top surface of the block being provided with an exteriorly exposed void formed by an opening continuous from end to end of the block extending into the cell formed above the said horizontally disposed web and between the said pair of vertically disposed web.

8. A hollow building tile adaptable for use in a wall construction as a backing material for bonded'brick facing and comprising a block substantially rectangular in cross-section, the vertical overall dimension of which corresponds to the dimension of any given number of brick courses less the thickness of one mortar joint,

the top surface of the block being provided with an exteriorly disposed void formed by an opening continuous from end to end of the block, said void terminating at its lower extremity in an internal web extending horizontally from shell to shell, the void being of a depth from the upper surface of the block corresponding to one brick course.

FREDERICK T. HEATH. 

